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Whale watching on the preserved and quiet coast of Paea (Pk26)

Recommended by 95% of travelers
Tahiti, French Polynesia
  • 4 hours (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

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Overview

    What's Included

    • Bottled water
    • Coffee and/or Tea
    • Use of Snorkeling equipment
      Use of Snorkelling equipment

      Meeting and Pickup

      Meeting point

      • PK 27, Paea, French Polynesia

        NO PICK-UPS. The fishing port is located before marker 33/27 (27km from Papeete/33km from Taravao) in Paea, after the ILM research center. You will see our Mobydick Tahiti sign. Please note: The meeting point may change depending on the weather (Punaauia).

      End point

      This activity ends back at the meeting point.

      What To Expect

      Additional Info

      • Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
      • Not recommended for travelers with back problems
      • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
      • Not recommended for pregnant travelers
      • Most travelers can participate
      • Not wheelchair accessible
      • The boarding is immediate, there is no changing room nor office. We don"t have pick-up service.
      • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 12 travelers
      Supplied by

      Cancellation Policy

      This experience is non-refundable and cannot be changed for any reason. If you cancel or ask for an amendment, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

      Traveler Photos

      Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)
      Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)
      Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)
      Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)
      Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

      Featured review

      Jessica_S
      Wow what an incredible experience! This is a must-do tour while in Tahiti. Our guide was amazing with making sure everyone was taken care of and with guiding us to where the whales were swimming. I’m still in awe of the experience .

      Reviews

      4.8
      based on 41 reviews
      Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
      We perform checks on reviews

      Absolutely Wonderful Experience!

      ContentL_K, Sep 2025
      This was an incredible experience! While there is no guarantee on an excursion like this that you'll actually get to do the whale swim, our friendly and knowledgable guide, along with the boat captain, were able to find whales, and we were able to do the swim. The swim itself was a magnificent, heart-filling experience - and it was very respectful of the whales! We saw a few before finding the ones who seemed to be okay with our presence. All gear is provided or you can bring your own as I did - you swim quietly in a group behind the guide to the whales. I don't know if it's always like this, but mama and calf we encountered were playful and seemed as curious about us as we were about them. We did not chase them, we just hung out while they did flip turns and all sorts of acrobatic moves, swimming right up to us, maybe a couple of meters away. I felt very safe both with the marine life and with the swimming situation. The boat ride was also great - seeing the island from the water lends a whole new perspective. They were also tolerant of my lateness, and they didn't have to wait for me, but they did. I would recommend this particular company, Moby Dick, to anyone who is visiting Tahiti. You will feel happy and well cared for, and at the very least, you'll have a great boat trip and good company. It's a must do !

      Swimming with Whale Watching

      Michael_U, Oct 2024
      Interesting day and good tour… it’s in French 🇫🇷 btw… Our tour departed Puna’auia due to the weather and we sighted one large whale about an hour into the tour and an hour later we also got to see a group with a Baby Whale, it’s mother and a male escort… unfortunately we couldn’t swim them as it is subject to the water conditions and how comfortable the whales are (i.e. they must approach the boat. Our guides were very hospitable and we got to go for a quick swim towards the end of the tour… so it was more like Swimming with Whale Watching, but definitely a magical experience. It was good to see both islands from the open water (which I wanted to jump into 🏊‍♂️) and gave me an appreciation for what the Tahitian people of old might have seen when navigating and approaching these magnificent places. Thank you 🙏 for the tour ☺️

      Response from Host, Oct 2024

      Thank you for your comment. We do the briefing in english as usual when we have english speacking people. So i don t understand your remark ☺️

      Amazing tour! A must do while in Tahiti

      Jessica_S, Sep 2024
      Wow what an incredible experience! This is a must-do tour while in Tahiti. Our guide was amazing with making sure everyone was taken care of and with guiding us to where the whales were swimming. I’m still in awe of the experience .

      Adventure Requires More Fitness Than Advertised

      Diane_R, Sep 2024
      The idea of swimming with the humpback whales is delightful. However, advertisement for the adventure is not forthcoming. To engage in this adventure one must swim 100-150 meters quickly using a side stroke so that flippers do not create bubblles. One must be in great shape to accomplish this act. There is no mention of this necessary fitness in the add for the adventure. Other activities in French Polynesia list an age limit. Age does not guarantee a leveol of fitness but is a beginning.

      Amazing experience.

      Sarah_C, Oct 2022
      We came at the tail end of whale migration season-saw 4 humpback whales, two pods of dolphins, grey shark, and many flying fish! Our guides were very pleasant and knowledgeable of the marine life. The ocean was a little rough on the journey back to shore but Isabel navigated like a pro! Incredible experience.

      It’s a charge! Make sure

      gretchen_h, Oct 2022
      Being in the deep water and seeing only the whale submerge and emerge below me. Incredible. I didn’t get a photo because my battery in my underwater camera died before the swim

      Great outing 😍

      Karine_V, Oct 2025
      A superb whale trip with a most respectful approach I highly recommend seeing you soon
      Auto-translated

      Non soddisfatti

      Claudio_B, Oct 2024
      Gestita male con parteza con oltre 30 minuti di ritardo. Sinceramente il personale non ci è sembrato all'altezza della situazione.

      Response from Host, Oct 2024

      Hi Claudio I'm sorry you didn't like the tour. This day I remember we had a great time with whales. Time indicated on your booking is the meeting time, and not the departure time. We need to give the gear to everybody and do a briefing before leaving about safety and whales biology. The tour is a 4 hour tours so we have plenty of time to enjoy the whales. Hope you enjoyed the rest of your holidays and didn't have any other problems :)

      From $201.61

      per person

      -You will not receive a refund if you cancel.

      Book ahead!
      On average, this is booked 11 days in advance.

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